Obituaries

Roy Laine

Roy Laine of Wading River died July 4. He was 100 years old.

He was born Feb. 8, 1913, to Edward and Selma (Wall) Laine and had lived in the Lewin Hills section of Wading River since 1960. In 1940 he married Mary Binger. They were married for 67 years until her death in 2007.

During World War II, Mr. Laine served in the Navy from 1943 to 1945, setting up post offices for servicemen and attained the rank of chief. Family members said while stationed in the Philippines he met General MacArthur.

Mr. Laine spent most of his life working and serving the Wading River community. He was employed as the Wading River postmaster from 1960 to 1973, after working for several U.S. post offices in Queens. He also served in the Wading River Fire Department, where he was president from 1964 to 1966.

He was a deacon at Wading River Congregational Church and distributed Bibles as a member of The Gideons International. Family members say he was known for singing hymns in a beautiful tenor voice, and credit his relation to Jenny Lind, the “Swedish Nightingale.”

Mr. Laine was godfather to several children, including Arlene Binger Baer, Walter Binger and Alan Johanson. Another godchild, Dawn Bascomb, predeceased him. He also was an uncle to many nieces and nephews.
The family received visitors July 7 at Alexander-Tuthill Funeral Home in Wading River. A funeral service was held July 8 at First Congregational Church in Wading River. Interment, with full U.S. Navy honors, followed at Wading River Cemetery.